Quick adjustable harness and seat assembly



March 1, 1949. A. T. STRETCH, JR 2,463,330

QUICK-ADJUSTABLE HARNESS AND SEAT ASSEMBLY Filed April 1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1949. A. T.- STRETCH? JR 2,463,330

QUICK-ADJUSTABLE HARNESS AND SEAT A$SEMBLY Filed April 1, 1 946 2 She'e'ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALBERT 1T STRETCHJR. BY

- NEW s Patented Mar. 1, 1949 QUICK ADJUSTABLE HARNESS AND SEAT ASSEMBLY Albert T. Stretch, Jr., Trenton, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Switlik Parachute Company, Inc., Trenton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application April 1, 1946, Serial No. 658,809

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a parachute harness and to the combination of a parachute harness and pack with a chair.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a harness which consists of a bodyembracing portion including a sling, shoulder straps, a back strap and a chest strap, legembracing portions consisting of leg straps attached to the sling, and suspension webs which extend from the sling to the parachute canopy wherein the body-embracing portion and the leg straps may be adjusted to bodies of different sizes by a simple pull upon free ends of the sling and free ends of the leg straps, and wherein the adjustment is automatically maintained.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for permitting and maintaining the adjustments hereinabove referred to.

A still further object of the invention resides in the combination of a parachute pack and harness with a chair, wherein the pack and harness are maintained in position in the back of the chair by readily releasable means, which means is released automatically when the sections of the chest strap are moved to engage each other.

With these and other objects in view, such as will appear as this description progresses, the invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and specifically recited in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the harness;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevation, partly broken away, showing the position of the harness and pack in relation to the back of the chair before the sections of the chest strap have been moved to a body-embracing position;

Figure 5 is an elevation similar to Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The form of the invention illustrated in the drawings includes a swing S, which consists of a seat portion I and risers 2 that are, preferably, of such length that they terminate in front of the shoulders of the wearer.

A friction adjuster is carried at the upper end of each of the risers 2 and consists of two bars 3 and 4 that are disposed in the same plane and a bar 5 that is offset from the plane of the bars 3 and 4. Each riser passes through the opening between th bars 3 and 4 of the adjacent adjuster and aroundthe offset bar 5 and terminates in a loose end 6, the loose end being located between the bar 3 and the adjacent portion of the riser, as indicated at l.

The suspension Webs 8 and 9 are attached to the bar 4 of each of the friction adjusters and are adapted to be attached to the suspension lines of the parachute canopy in the usual manner.

To the bar 4 of each of the friction adjusters heretofore described is attached a shoulder strap Ill. These shoulder straps I!) extend downwardly in crossed relation as at l l, and are permanently attached at l2 and [3 to the risers. From the points of attachment l2 and I3 the straps H) extend from one riser to the other to form a back strap l4.

Permanently secured to the suspension webs 8 and 9 on the sides of the harness are breast strap sections 15 and [6 which carry complemental separable fasteners l1 and f8.

One element [9 of a separable fastener is rigidly associated with each of the breast strap sections l5 and [6. In the drawings I have shown each of these separable fastener elements as carried by a sheath 20 which is secured tothe suspension webs and to the breast strap sections, but it is to be understood that the separable fastener elements may be directly attached to the breast strap sections and the sheath used or omitted, as illustrated in Figure 6. Leg strap sections 2| and 22 are permanently attached to the risers 2 of the swing and carry complemental separable fasteners 23 which are complemental to the separable fasteners carried by the other leg strap sections which will now be described. These latter leg strap sections 24 and 25 are permanently secured to the seat I of the swing and terminate in free ends 26. These leg strap sections 24 and 25 carry friction adjusters 2'1 and 28 which, as heretofore stated, are complemental to the separable fastener elements 23 on the other leg strap sections.

Referring to Figure 3 it will be seen that these friction adjusters include cross bars 29 and 30,

which lie in the same plane and a cross bar 3| which lies in a plane offset from the plane of the bars 29 and 39. The free end of each of the leg strap sections 24 and 25 is passed through the opening 32 between the bars 29 and 30 and thence around the bar 3| and between the bar 29 and the adjacent portion of the leg strap section.

It will be noted that the passage of the risers through their adjusters and the leg strap sections 24 and 25 through their adjusters makes it possible to pull on the free ends of the risers and the leg strap sections to adjust the lengths of the same to the body of the user after the harness has been put in place on the user, and this because the main body portion of the risers and of the leg straps exerts no considerable pressure on said free ends of said straps against the adjacent cross bars of the adjusters.

However, when the adjustment is completed and force is applied to the leg straps and to the risers in the opposite direction, the free ends of the leg straps and of the risers will be forced against the adjacent cross bars and, creating a binding action at these points, will maintain the adjustment of the leg, straps and of the risers. It will thus be seen that the adjustment of the body embracing portion of the harness is accomplished after the harness has been put in place on the user by simply pulling on the free ends of the risers and the body embracing portion of the harness snugly fits the user, and that the weight of the user exerted on the swing will cause the binding action in the adjusters which arecarried by the risers of the swing and automatically maintain the adjustment accomplished. Moreover, the adjustment of the leg embracing portion of the harness or of the leg straps is accomplished in a similar manner by a simple pull on the free ends 26 of the leg strap sections 24 and 25 and the force applied to these leg straps by the user thereafter will maintain the adjustment that has been accomplished.

Referring now to Figures 4, and 6, which illustrate the application of the pack and harness to the back of an aeroplane chair, the back of the chair is indicated by the referencenumeral 33. This back is so constructed that a recess 34 is provided for the reception of the pack 35. The harness is secured to the pack in any desired manner, as for instance by straps 36, one of which is illustrated in the drawings.

In order that the pack and harness may be maintained in position in the recess of the back of the chair and released when the harness is secured to the body of the user, I have provided retaining straps 37 and 38, which are secured at 39 to the back of the chair and are provided on their free ends withv grommets 40. The pack is also provided with separable fastener elements 4| which are complemental to the separable fastener elements l9 heretofore referred to, these separable fastener elements l9 and 4| being of such type that they are capable of passing through the grommets 40. When the pack and harness are assembled in the back of the chair they are in the positions illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings and at this time the separable fastener elements [9- and 4| are engaged with each other and the grommets 40 on the ends of the straps Hand 38 are engaged with the separable fastener elements, as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings with the breast strap sections l6 extending outwardly from the riser 2. Thus the pack and harness will bemaintained on the back 330i the chair.

When, however, the user desires to place the harness in a body embracing position, it is only necessary for him to pull on the ends of the breast strap sections l5 and I6 and to pull the same inwardly across his chest. When he does so the separable fastener elements l9 and 4| are released and the grommets 40 on the retaining straps 3i and 3 8 are likewise released so that the retaining straps fall away from the separable fastener and release the pack and harness from the chair. This releasing is accomplished as a direct result of the bringing of thebreast strap sections across the breast of the user into breast embracing position. Of course it will be realized that when this harness is used in combination with a chair, as has been described, the adjustment of the body embracing portion and the leg embracing portion of the harness may be accomplished simply by pulling on the free ends of the risers to make the former adjustment and on the free ends of the leg straps to make the latter adjustment.

I prefer to make the separable fasteners which retain the grommets 4c in position of the type where a post forms one of the separable fastener elements and a socket forms the other. As illustrated in Figure 6 the post is carried by thebreast strap sections and the socket by the pack. With this arrangement the grommets 40 will normally be engaged with the posts of the separable fasteners and consequently any lateral force applied to the retaining straps will have no tendency to separate the elements of the fasteners. However, it will be realized that many forms of separable fasteners may be used and therefore I" do not wish" to be limited to this particular form.

In describing the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the drawings I have referred to a specific type of leg strap wherein each is formed of two sections and each is adapted to embraceone leg. However, when I broadly refer to leg straps I intend to include the type of leg strap which is made of twosections and may be fastened over the lap or, otherwise stated, around both legs of the user.

While I have illustrated and described-the particular form of my invention, it is to be understood that many changes may be made in} the details of construction without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

I claim: I V

1. A harness including a swing having a seat portion and risers, the risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, and-friction adjusterssecurely attached to said suspension ,we'bs; the free ends of said risers being frictionally and adjustably attached to, said adjusters, leg straps including sections attached to said risers and swing, and quick adjustablemeans for a section of each of said leg straps.

2. A harness including a swing having aseat" portion and risers, the risers terminatinginfree ends, suspension webs, frictionadjusters securely attached to said suspension. websgthe free ends of said risers being frictionally and. adjustably attached to said adjusters, pairs of .complemental leg strap sections attached to-said risers and-said seat portion of said swing and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of legzstrap sections,;and

a friction adjuster carried bya leg strap" section.

of each said pair, thefree end'sof said la'st-m'entioned leg strap section" being: frictionallyandadjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section.

3. A harness including a swing having a seat portion and risers, the risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, and friction adjusters securely attached to said suspension webs, the free ends of said risers being frictionally and adjustably attached to said adjusters, each said adjuster including a pair of bars arranged in a common plane and a bar offset from said plane, the free end of each riser passing over a bar of said pair of bars, around said offset bar and thence back upon itself between said riser and the last mentioned bar of said pair of bars. I

4. A harness including a swing having a seat portion and risers, the risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, friction adjusters securely attached to said suspension webs, the free ends of said risers being frictionally and adjustably attached to said adjusters, pairs of complemental leg strap sections attached to said risers and said seat portion of said swing and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of leg strap sections, and a friction adjuster carried by the leg strap section of each said pair, a leg strap section of each said pair being frictionally and adjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section, each said adjuster including a pair of bars arranged in a common plane and a bar offset from said plane, the free end of a leg strap section of each pair of leg strap sections passing over a bar of said pair of bars, around said offset bar and thence back upon itself between said leg strap section and the last mentioned bar of said pair of bars.

5. A harness including a swing having seat portions and risers, the risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, friction adjusters securely attached to said suspension webs, the free ends of said risers being frictionally and adjustably attached to said adjusters, each said adjuster including a pair of bars arranged in a common plane, and a bar offset from said plane, the free end of each riser passing over a bar of said pair of bars, around said offset bar and thence back upon itself between said riser and the last-mentioned bar of said pair of bars, pairs of complemental leg strap sections attached to said risers and said seat portion of said swing and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of leg strap sections, and a friction adjuster carried by a leg strap section of each said pair of leg strap sections, a leg strap section of each said pair of leg strap sections being frictionally and adjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section, each said last-mentioned adjuster including a pair of bars arranged in a common plane and a bar offset from said plane, the free end of a leg strap section of each pair of leg strap sections passing over a bar of said pair of bars, around said offset bar and thence back upon itself between said leg strap section and the last mentioned bar of said pair of bars.

6. A harness including a swing having a seat portion and risers, suspension webs connected to the risers, means for adjusting the effective lengths of the risers, pairs of complemental leg strap sections attached to said risers and said seat portion of said swing and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of leg strap sections, a friction adjuster carried by a leg strap section 6 of each said pair of leg strap sections,'a leg strap section of each said pair being frictionally and adjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section.

'7. A harness including a swing having aseat portion and risers, suspension webs connected to the risers, means for adjusting the effective lengths of the risers, pairs of complemental leg strap sections attached to said risers and said seat portion of said swing and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of leg strap sections, a friction adjuster carried by a leg strapsection of each said pair of leg strap sections, a leg strap section of each said pair being frictionally and adjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section, said adjuster including a pair of bars arranged in a common plane and a bar offset from said plane, the free end of a leg strap section of each pair of leg strap sections passing over a bar of said pair of bars, around said offset bar and thence back upon itself between said leg strap section and the last mentioned bar of said pair of bars.

8. In a parachute chair assembly, a chair having a back, a parachute pack, a body harness attached to said parachute pack and including complemental breast strap sections, separable fastener elements carried by each said breast strap section, complemental separable fastener elements carried by said pack, and straps attached to said back of said chair, means on each of said straps on said chair, releasably attaching said last-mentioned straps to said separable fastener whereby when the breast strap sections are released from said separable fasteners said lastmentioned means will automatically release said pack from said chair.

9. In a parachute chair assembly, a chair having a back, a parachute pack, a body harness attached to said parachute pack and including complemental breast strap sections, straps secured to the chair back and common means for releasably securing said last-mentioned straps and said breast strap sections to said pack.

10. In a parachute chair assembly, a chair having a back, a parachute pack, a body harness attached to said parachute pack, and common releasable means attaching a portion of the body harness to the pack and the pack to the back of the chair.

11. In a parachute chair assembly, a chair having a back, a parachute pack, a harness attached to said pack and including a seat portion, risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, friction adjusters securely attached to said suspension webs, the free ends of said risers being frictionally and adjustably attached to said adjusters, pairs of complemental leg strap sections attached to said risers and said seat portion and terminating in free ends, complemental fastener elements on the members of each pair of leg strap sections, friction adjusters carried by said leg strap sections of each said pair, th free ends of said last mentioned leg strap sections being frictionally and adjustably attached to the adjuster carried by said section, and complemental breast strap sections, and straps secured to the chair back and common means for releasably securing said last mentioned straps and said breast strap sections to said pack.

12. A harness including a swing having a seat portion and risers, the risers terminating in free ends, suspension webs, friction adjusters securely attached to said suspension webs, the free ends ofzsa-id;risersbeing-frictibnailllfiandiadiflstahlyiatz tachedfitoxsaid Eadjustera; and ,;1eg;st-1:ap:setions having- ;complementa1fasteners;thereon attached to said swing portion and to said risers:

13. In axparachute chair. assembly, achairhhaving. anback', a parachute pack,: arbody harness. attachedito said parachute pack saidbodyzharness including breast straps: having complemental f astenerson the ends thereof straps attachedto said chair back; and. separable fastener elements on said chairbacksaid' breast strap seotions and said last mentioned straps to releasably secure said-breast straps to'said pack and said packto said chairback:

- ALBERT T; STRETCHiJR.

8 REFERENCES The following references, are of record in the file-oi thispatent:

UNITED," STATES PATENTS;

Number Name Date 629,486 Bodwell Ju1y 25; 1899 1,264,996 Tabler Ma3 '7', 1 918 2130547 Irvin S'ep f}; 20; 1938 2,130,568 Smith Sept:'20;;;1938 2,192,113 Waite Feb'.e27; 1940 2,400,471 St. Clair May--14; 1946 2,405,671 Quilter ,,Aug; 13; 1946 2,439,613?v Quilter Apr; 1311948 

